Death Note: Light Up the NEW World (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Misa Amane regains her memories of Death Notes after being contacted by Shien. When the confrontation at the National Arts Centre forces the Task Force to reveal their faces, Misa uses her Shinigami Eyes to see their real names and lifespans. She reveals that Light is dead and, believing she is freeing him from his burden, writes his name in the Death Note before taking her own life.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Misa had remained loyal to Light throughout the years and refused to reveal his hideout to Shien, showing her unwavering devotion.

• misa amane
• light yagami
• suicide
• shinigami eyes
• death note

When Mishima touches Shien's Death Note during the confrontation, suppressed memories flood back. He recalls witnessing Teru Mikami murder Hikari Yagami in a psychotic episode, then killing Mikami to stop him. These memories activate his latent role as Light's chosen successor, allowing him to assume the Neo Kira mantle.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Mishima was revealed to have been tasked with locating Light's son and his secret successor, showing he was already connected to Light's legacy.

• mishima
• neo kira
• light yagami successor
• death note
• memory

Shien wants to become Neo Kira, the true successor to Light's legacy. To eliminate the impostor Kira and claim the title legitimately, he sacrifices half his remaining lifespan to obtain Shinigami Eyes, which allow him to see a person's real name and lifespan just by looking at them.

Foreshadowing: Shien had been tracking down Death Notes and eliminating their owners to clear his path to becoming Kira, showing his ambition to fill Light's shoes.

• yuki shien
• shinigami eyes
• lifespan sacrifice
• neo kira

The Shinigami Beppo reveals that there can only be six Death Notes in the human world at any time. This bottleneck becomes crucial as both the Task Force and Shien race to locate and secure the five remaining notes, knowing that controlling the notes means controlling the outcome of the conflict.

Foreshadowing: The limit is introduced early when Sakura Aoi's notebook is recovered in Shibuya, setting up the central premise of the hunt.

• six death notes
• beppo
• shinigami
• limit
• notebook

Ryuzaki inherited a blank Death Note from L and made a promise to him before his death that he would never use it. This vow represents Ryuzaki's commitment to fighting Kira through investigation rather than murder, maintaining his moral stance despite inheriting L's role and resources.

Foreshadowing: When Mishima uncovers the hidden message in Ryuzaki's video, 'I own the last Death Note', it leads to the revelation of Ryuzaki's unusual relationship with his Shinigami Arma.

• ryuzaki
• l successor
• blank death note
• arma
• promise

Arma is Ryuzaki's Shinigami companion. During the escape through the abandoned subway, the last surviving Task Force member closes in on Mishima. Arma intervenes to prevent Mishima's capture, sacrificing herself. This act deeply unsettles Ryuzaki, showing that Shinigami can form genuine bonds with their human partners.

Foreshadowing: Ryuzaki's relationship with Arma was explored earlier when he revealed his unconventional connection to his Shinigami.

• arma
• shinigami
• sacrifice
• mishima
• ryuzaki

Light Yagami had a son who was secretly trained as his successor. Mishima was tasked with locating this boy and his caretaker, prosecutor Teru Mikami. However, during the investigation, Mikami and the boy vanish. Later, Mishima's memories reveal that Mikami murdered Hikari Yagami (presumably related to the family) before being killed by Mishima himself.

Foreshadowing: This subplot connects back to the original series' ending and explains how Light's legacy continued.

• light yagami son
• teru mikami
• successor
• Kira

With Ryuzaki facing his predetermined death date, he proposes a swap of fates with Mishima. In response, Mishima reveals his real name is Ryo Nakagami and walks away to face his own fate. This final act completes his character arc from Task Force member to Neo Kira, accepting whatever consequences await.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Mishima had been suspected of conspiring with Kira and was arrested, showing his complicated relationship with the investigation.

• mishima
• ryo nakagami
• real name
• fate swap
• ryuzaki

After the confrontation, Interpol explains the fate of the six Death Notes. However, in the postscript, terrorists attack the notebook-bearing vehicle, destroying four notes and leaving two missing. The Shinigami King's promise that his throne would go to whoever found the next Kira remains unfulfilled as all six notes are accounted for, but human greed ensures the cycle continues.

Foreshadowing: The Shinigami King's dying promise was established earlier as the overarching supernatural context driving Shinigami involvement.

• death notes destroyed
• missing notes
• shinigami king
• terrorism

Yuki Shien is a cyber-terrorist who believes he is carrying out Light Yagami's mission through a Shinigami named Ryuk. He releases a virus containing a video of Light as Kira to reignite global fear and manipulate the situation. He also contacts Misa Amane and impersonates Kira through another virus, threatening killings unless Ryuzaki reveals his identity.

Foreshadowing: Shien's vow to gather all six Death Notes was established early, showing his obsession with Light's legacy.

• yuki shien
• kira virus
• cyber terrorism
• light yagami
• ryuk

Mishima discovers a hidden message in Ryuzaki's CGI video of L, reading 'I own the last Death Note.' This cryptic message leads Mishima to confront Ryuzaki, eventually learning about his relationship with Arma and the blank Death Note he possesses, which becomes crucial to the investigation's later stages.

Foreshadowing: Ryuzaki released the video to bait Kira, showing his strategic thinking in using his predecessor's image.

• hidden message
• ryuzaki
• death note
• investigation
• mishima

After Shien escapes before killing investigator Touta Matsuda and threatens a killing spree unless L's successor reveals his name and face, the Japanese government fears the investigation has been compromised. They dissolve the Death Note Task Force, forcing Ryuzaki and the remaining members to continue their work independently.

Foreshadowing: The dissolving of the Task Force raises the stakes and forces the characters to operate outside official channels.

• task force dissolved
• japanese government
• investigation
• touta matsuda